Apparatus for stretching hides



(N Model.)

J. YOUNG.

APPARATUS PoR STRBTGHING HIDBS.

Patented Deo. 6, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN YOUNG, OF NEVARK, NEW JERSEY.V

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING HIDES.

SPECIFICATION termine' part of Letters Patent No. 374,228, datedDecember 6, 1887.

Serial No. 251,170. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN YOUNG, of Newark, in the county of Essex, inthe State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Stretching or Drying Hides, of which thefollowing is a specification. A

The advantages of extending the green or freshly-tanned hide in a wetcondition and holding it extended and plane until dried have been longappreciated. There arel several forms of extensibleframes with means forhold ing them extended and machines for operating such frames, eachreceiving the frame with a freshly-fastened hide in a contractedcondition and expanding it to the proper tension and confining thestretchingbars, after which the machine, being again contracted, allowsthe frame with its stretched hide to be removed and placed on edge orotherwise favorably conditioned for drying. Then another contractedframe with its freshly-attached hide is introduced, and the operation isrepeated.

As heretofore known, the machines have been bulky and inconvenient towork. The frames have required slotting or other elaborate preparationor costly clamping-screws. I have devised cramps which hold firmly allthat can be gained in the machine and allow of being driven outward bypercussion to retain the I use plain boards without any necessarypreparation. I hold the angular stretching-pieces at the neck bydirectly and strongly taking hold on the adjacent boards, and 'I operatethe parts of the ma chine by worms and worm-wheels connected with smallpinions and racks. The action is powerful and reliable, and allows ofoperating rapidly, and will hold itself by friction in any position inwhich it may be left. This portion of the apparatus is especiallyimportant in its facility for relaxing the pressure to remove theframes. The relaxing is done by simple backward turning of thewormshafts, without necessitating any preparation other. than a previoustightly adjusting of the cramps to hold in the frames all the stretchwhichhas been effected by the machine. v l lock down the portions of themachine through which the force is communicated to the frames. Theseparts are free to slide in the proper direction to stretch the hide orto relax the stretching force; but they are held down reliably againstdisplacement from any motionin other directions.

My invention avoids the usual necessity for bringing any iron parts incontact with the hide. All risk of staining the hide by iron is thusavoided.

My invention allows the work to very rapidly.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, andrepresent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a top view showing the hide stretched on one of the framesand the frame in the act of being extended by the machine. Fig. 2 is anend View of the same. Fig. 3 is a section of a portion on alarger scale.This figure shows a modification in the form of the nut.

The cramp which holds the parts of the frame together is omitted on onecorner in Figs. l and 2. It will be understood that there is a cramp oneach corner.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures where they be done A is the frame of the machine, certain partsof which will be distinguislied,wl1en necessary, by additional marks, asA. It may be of hard wood.

B Bare parts of the machine, mounted one near'each end, and arranged tomove longi- 1 tudinally. They are held up by traversing on anti-frictionrollers A3, mounted in castings A, bolted on the longitudinal timbers A.Each resists any force received th rough the stretching-frame or othersource tending to lift them from the machine, by virtue of a metalplate, b, screwed or otherwise firmly fixed upon the longitudinal stripB, one edge projecting laterally and engaging under the strip of metala, which is bolted on the central longitudinal timber, At, of the frameA. These endwisestretching pieces B, thus supported and held in contact,are each traversed forcibly lengthwise of the machine by the aid of ashaft, D, which s carried in bearings on the frame A,

and to which is afiixed a worm-wheel, D', and

two gear-wheels, D2. These wheels D2 engage with racks B2, fixed in theparts B. These parts are adj usted to serve both to forcibly actuate thestretching-pieces B and to guide them against lateral displacement.

E is a worm-shaft extended longitudinally of the framing and mounted inbearings ingly equipped with side-stretching pieces,

each of which runs upon anti-friction rollers mounted in castings, andis held down by a metal strip, not fully shown, but which engages underan adjacent strip mounted on the cross-timber A5, as will be readilyrecognized bythetgures. Thispreventstheside-stretching pieces from beinglifted out of position. Both the sides and end sets or pieces are helddown and guided on the rollers by the locking-strips, so as to be heldin the proper plane notwithstanding the distorting strain received inseparating the removable fra mes with their tightly-strained hidesabove.

M M are the longitudinal boards, and N N the transverse'boards, of myremovable frames, to which the hides are nailed or otherwise attached,which are stretched on the machine.

P P and QQare links,ofhard wood or metal, bolted together at O. The endsof links P P are bolted loosely together and through a bearing-block, P.The ends of Q Qare also bolted loosely together and through abearing-block, Q. These parts can be made rapidly and cheaply bymachinery, and being applied a little obliquely, as shown, constitutecramps to hold the boards M and N firmly in any position in which theyare left. W'hen the frames M and N are strained outward on the machineto the proper' extent, the attendant urges the cramps l? Q out intotheir proper oblique positions by a few gentle blows. This insures theirtight holding in a position to retain the boards fully in position afterthe snpport due to the machine is relaxed.

My cramps will stand adjustment to any extent required. When the framesare out of use, they may be instantly brought together into as small acompass as the corner-pieces will allow. The bolts may be tightened bymeans of nuts thereon, if preferred.

R R are corner-pieces adapted to stretch the :neck of the hides. Each issecured to each of the boards M and N by a swivel-hook bolt, S, one foreach board. These hooks can be set at right angles to their respectiveboards, as shown, or can be shifted obliquely at various inclinations,correspondingly changing the tension with which the corner pieces arestrained outward when the frame is expanded in the machine. rlhisarrangement gives great strength without involving expensive preparationof the parts, and also gives facility of adjusting to vary the amount ofstretch of the neckthe important portion of the hidewhich is thuseffected.

B3 B3 are irons fixed on the parts B, adapted to receive the boards N ofthe removable frames.

I claim as my inventionl. The stretching-pieces B, guided and held inthe proper plane, as shown, in combination with the worm shafts E,worm-wheels D', shafts D, gear-wheels D2, and racks Bt, arranged toserve relatively to each other and to the stretching-frames M N, andsuitable fastening means, O P Q, substantially as herein specified.

2. In a frame for stretching hides, in combination with the longitudinalboards M and transverse boards N, the corner-cramps composed ofthe linksl? Q, jointed at O and pro vided with bearing-.pieces P and Q, arrangedto serve substantially as herein specified.

3. In a frame for stretching and drying hides, the boards M N, incombination with the corner-piece B and the two hooks S, pivotallysecured at their inner ends to said corner-piece, the outer hooked endsthereof respectively engaging each of said boards M N, as hereinspecified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, this23d day of September, 1887, in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

JOHN YOUNG.

Witnesses:

CHARLES R. SEARLE, H. A. JoHNsToNE.

